一本松さん ありがとう THANK YOU, THE PINE TREE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　一本松よ　ありがとう

心ささえた 九ヶ月　
一本松よ ありがとう

７万本の 松林
一本残して 流されぬ

一本だけの 松なれど
多くの人に 元気をくれぬ

３００年 共に育った
仲間と別れ 孤高を耐えぬ

「最後の一葉」 少女を救い
一本松は 皆を救いぬ

ひょろ長さんよ ありがとう
お前の事は 我ら忘れぬ

お前の生んだ 松ぽっくり
１８本の 若木が育ち

３００年後 若木が作る
以前と同じ 松の森

THANK YOU, PINE TREE

the Tohoku Tsunami
washed away
70,000 pine trees
except one

the beautiful scenery
suddenly changed into
a desolate beach
leaving one miraculous tree

after nine months
you, the last pine tree
you, the guardian deity
are now dying

you have encouraged
thousands of victims
as O' Henry’s "The Last Leaf"
encouraged the girl

you must have been
lonely, too, parting with
the trees that grew
for 270 years together

seeing that
the Tohoku people
are recovering
you are joining your friends

thank you, pine tree
your slender tall figure
all the Japanese people
will never forget you

your pine cones
have given new life
18 baby trees
are now growing

they will make
as large a forest
270 years later

from now